Rising Star Of Darkness

'If there were such a thing as a new life… if I could really restart everything from scratch, then…'

'Why not?' he thought.

Living life the way he wanted, one he could enjoy and be proud of, one where he could find meaning to his existence other than following the common path expected by society and the world, was all he ever dreamed of,

and the answer to his inner desire was right in front of him.

*Pop*

"Huh? A reply? Already?"

It was quite the surprise for Daichi, as he had no prior expectations while tapping a reply. 

It was just a casual act driven by pure curiosity and leisure interest in something out of the ordinary that caught his eye.

Now he was facing once again a new asked by the sender.

*******

"Unknown"

[If you could decide anything regarding your next life, would you do it?]

*******

"Um, such a strange question," he presumed, perplexed.

What was the meaning behind those? Who was the one sending them, and how was the content and timing so accurate to his current situation and state of mind?

Lots of questions and still no answers as to why or how it was possible.

'Is this a survey? An investigation? Or Something else…' he wondered.

The once carefree interest he had turned into a fixation and soon, an obsession.

*Tap, tap, tap*

*******

[Yes]

> Send

*******

Daichi's pupils were glued to the screen, waiting for a new reply.

As if he knew it was already coming.

*Pop*

It indeed happened, and Daichi smiled, reading the contents.

*******

"Unknown"

[If you could possess something unique to you that could help you throughout your life, would you use it?]

*******

'Something unique to me, huh? What could it be?' he wondered.

If there were truly such things in this world, the answer would surely be…

'Talent, genes, lineage, status, or maybe luck?'

The kind of things one would find hard to possess, as they were not mere material and insignificant things, one could easily acquire with money or power alone.

Something one has to be born with or inherit from their parents and ancestors who paved the way using that same .

Unless one is willing to sacrifice everything they hold and pay the price for the intended results. 

'If I even had one of these things, would my life be any better? Could I even achieve anything in this world?' he doubted.

But, deep inside, he longed for it, dreamed of it, and hoped for it from the bottom of his heart.

A profound desire that never got to see the light of the day and stood buried inside, culminating, boiling, morphing itself in the dark, waiting for the time it became his sole life's purpose.

*Sigh*

'Not like that could ever happen,' he dismayed, trying to be rational, 'This is not a fiction.'

But if fate indeed exists and there was a tiny little chance his delusions could come to life, then his answer would certainly be the same as the others. 

*Tap, tap, tap*

*******

[Yes]

> Send

*******

*Pop*

Once again, a new message appeared from the same number, the same sender.

Except this time, the contents were different from the rest.

*******

"Unknown"

[Congratulation!

You have been selected as a first-time participant in our new program, .

ID: ISIS-777-7777777777

PASSWORD: 070707

Please click the link down below to sign up and start the program.]

> Link: xxx.xxxxxxx.xxx

*******

'Eh, that's it?' he frowned, 'A… program?'

His disappointment was immeasurable.

'This has got to be a scam, right?' Daichi concluded, annoyed 'Can't believe I fell for it'

The pattern was similar, and the hints so obvious that even the most illiterate internet user would have seen it coming.

First, an unknown sender with a number he had never seen, then, a series of odd questions that one would normally avoid, and now this so-called program that was generously proposed to him…

In his mind, he was already imagining the scenarios and outcomes possible based on the stories he had read and heard about on the net.

The usual assurance or special services offers scams with convenient excuses and means to ask for down payments for access to solve their pressing problems or gain some kind of special course and hacks to succeed in life…

'Program … Even the name sounds weird,' he thought, laughing inside.

'Is this some kind of ancestral medicine or skin care routine plans or what?'

*Pfft*

It was funny and amusing, thinking of all the possible meanings behind the name, but not once had he thought it would be a literal one.

Feeling good and refreshed after giggling to himself, Daichi had a thought.

'Since I have already come this far, why not give it a try?'

His childlike curiosity and fixation on mysteries and things unknown to the average person ended up driving his thoughts and actions.

Staring at the last message sent with particular attention, Daichi clicked the link, thinking,

'Not like something bad could happ…'

*Crash! * 

Under his wide-open eyes, and flabbergasted face, his screen blacked out.

"Dawn it!" he cursed, palm on face, 'What a dumbass.'

"Why did I even…"

*Screech*

"Eh?"

Before he could finish complaining, his pupils caught sight of a glitching light slowly disappearing, leaving place to what seemed a loading page. 

******

 "LOADING" (1%)

[Please wait…]

******

The background was dark, but the loading circle and letters were glowing in bluish-purple colors.

Daichi tried interacting with the screen, tapping it multiple times, but alas.

'Tsk, still not working,' He grumbled.

The frustration and panic of having the fate of his precious smartphone in the hands of a strange program from foreign origins was driving him mad.

All he could do was wait and watch the tattered circle, cycling like a clock, gradually filling up its gauge.

Then, after an insufferable amount of patience, a new page revealed itself.

******

"RE: LIFE"

******

On-screen was displayed the logo of the program, made with the same fancy typography, style, and colors as the loading circle.

'… It's this damn program,' he frowned, 'What is it even about?'

Daichi was complaining again, cursing and regretting his impulsive thought and action until he heard it again.

*TLING! *

"What… Wait! This sound…" he exclaimed.

He couldn't be mistaken.

After all, if it weren't for that damn sound, he wouldn't have slipped up and almost died.

'Wait, wasn't I planning to jump anyway?' he realized, thinking back, 'Then, could it be… This sound actually saved me?'

Piece by piece, the puzzle was being assembled, and slowly the fog was lifting from his head.

'That means… It wasn't my imagination!' he suspected, firmly believing in his senses.

'If these programs and the thing that happened earlier are somewhat connected…

Then should I sign up?' he pondered, pupils staring at the new page, mind focused.

*******

"SIGN IN"

[Welcome to program , your guide to a better new life.

Would you like to sign up?]

> Sign Up

> Exit

*******

There were still doubts in his heart, and so many things he couldn't figure out.

However, he was certain.

All the answers he sought were hidden behind this program.

Thus, that day, Daichi made a decision, one that would alter the course of his life forever.

More than he could have ever imagined.

*Tap*

*******

> Sign up

*******

*TLING*

Once he hit the button, the page loaded and revealed the new one.

*******

"SIGN UP"

ID: ___ ___ __________

PASSWORD: _ _ _ _ _ _

> Register

> Cancel

*******

The page was simple to understand and self-explanatory. 

All he had to do was fill in the black spaces, and that was the problem.

'What was ID and password again?' Daichi wondered for a second.

He didn't pay attention to the identification info when reading the message, and worse,

he still couldn't access his phone's widgets and all the functionalities, making it a near-impossible feat for the average person.

Nonetheless, if there was one thing he should be proud of, it would have been his keen senses and his mind's fixation on minor details…

Even the most insignificant ones.

*Tap, tap, tap…*

*******

"SIGN UP"

ID: ISOS-777-7777777777

PASSWORD: 070707

*******

'I think I got it right,' He thought, checking the screen.

Then, he quickly hit the button to validate and test out his entries.

*TLING*

Thankfully, the familiar tingling sound came up with a notification confirming his successful registration.

*******

"NOTIFICATION"

[Congratulation! You have successfully signed up for the program

Please tap the screen to continue…]

******* 

It wasn't that hard to guess the since it was mostly the same digit.

As for the , it was the easiest one for him to find.

After all, it had the same digits as his birth date, the exact numbers down to a tie.

'What a… strange coincidence,' Daichi thought, feeling uneasy.

For a while, he had this paranoid sensation of being watched, observed by something above.

As if someone had planned all of this from the beginning… 

But he had no proof, nor clues to support his wild thoughts, except for this program.

For the sake of finding the answers he sought and to unravel the truth behind all these mysteries, he kept going forward;

Not looking back.

*Tap*

*******

 "LOADING" (1%)

[Please wait…]

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